Tuesday, February 27, 2018

1st INTERNATIONAL DAY of RAINBOW CULTURE -- August 9, 2018

Stockholm -- LGBT organizations, individuals and supporters in a number of countries -- from Canada to Estonia, Finland to Romania, USA to Norway, Sweden to Spain -- will celerate the 1st INTERNATIONAL DAY OF RAINBOW CULTURE - August 9, 2018 -- a day launched by the ILGCN (international rainbow culture network), Tupilak (Nordic rainbow culture workers) and Bears International.

Some are expecetd to honor the event with a simple "skål" (a Swedish "bottoms-up" toast) with a glass of wine on or around the day -- while others will arrange programs of poetry, music, song, art, photography and films.

The date of August 9 has been chosen as it is the birthday of Finnish-Swedish author/painter Tove Jansson of "Moomintroll" fame -- a mega figure in the Nordic region and even beyond. She was a highly respected cultural personality who "came out" late in life (Finland has traditionally been a rather macho, difficult place for LGBT people) but who gladly received a Tupilak award diploma, became a member of Tupilak, and was publically proud of her 40-year partnership with artist/ teacher/author Tuuliki Pietiläa (a relationship often "overlooked" in many books and plays and films about Tove and her work, even today!)

"The aim is to salute rainbow cultural workers of the past -- from Sappho to Pyotr Ilyich, to Oscar to Hans Christian, to Tove to Magnus, to Christopher to Tom of Finland -- and salute those of the present day -- those creating rainbow culture reflecting the lives and identity of lesbians, gays, trans, bi, interex, Bears, the differently-abled, the HIV positives/negatives, the young and the elderly and friends," says Bill Schiller of the ILGCN, Tupilak and Bears International.

Helsinki, Tallinn, Södertälje, Stockholm, Gothenburg

In the Nordic zone, we plan to celebrate August 9 in the Finnish capital -- since Tove and Tuuliki were Finnish -- with discussions, Tove's literary quotations, films, art and music, then move over the Baltic waters to the Estonian capital of Tallinn on the 10th, to Södertälje, Sweden on the 11th, Stockholm on the 12th and to Gothenburg on the 14th (helping inaugurate the EuroPride 2018 stage in this Swedish west coast city).

"Please let us know if YOU or YOUR ORGANIZATION plan any kind of "birthday celebration" on or around August 9," Schiller adds. "Photos and reports of your events are very welcome for ILGCN's web publication, 'Erato.' Beautiful quotations and poetry from Tove Jansson, films, art and photos are available on the internet!"